Social Platform: Position Paper on Migration. An Opportunity for the EU
Social Platform, the largest civil society alliance fighting for social justice and participatory democracy in Europe, adopted a position paper on migration directed at the EU and its member states. The document includes the human rights concerns of regular and irregular migrants, asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection. The position paper provides a set of concrete recommendations in the following areas: social inclusion, employment, services of general interest and civil dialogue.
The paper is divided into two parts. The first part is dedicated to the third-country nationals and appeals on the policy makers to adopt a human rights approach, where equality is promoted and migrants are recognised and respected as rights holders. The position paper points to the link between migration, discrimination, poverty and social exclusion. The emphasis is put on the need to guarantee labour migrants access to quality and sustainable employment and the necessity to eliminate practical, administrative and legal obstacles inhibiting their access to necessary basic services. The Social Platform appeals to strengthen the EU institutions consultative process with migrants and their civil society associations.
The second part of the paper includes recommendations on the situation of intra-EU mobility for EU citizens, who may be at risk of destitution. The authors claim that despite the different legal frameworks and protection system applicable to the EU citizens, they can experience similar problems as third-country immigrants.